Bill,
The Auto Train now uses eTickets, not real tickets unless you've booked through a travel agent. When you pull up to the checkin booth at Lorton all you need do is provide your name to the person in the booth. They'll have already prepared, the Auto Train booklet with you name on a white label. In that book they'll right your car number and then direct you to a lane to turn over your car.
Once inside the terminal, have your photo ID's ready for all adults traveling, and hand over that AT folder. They'll check you in, have you pick a dinner time, and provide you with the dinner reservation slips and boarding slips. If you are in coach, then they'll assign you a car & seat numbers. But unless this is an AGR reservation, you will never see real tickets. And if it is an AGR res, you'll see them long enough to sign them and that's it.
Sanford does more or less the same, except that they don't put labels on the folders, they just look up your name on a printout when you arrive at the booth.
Earliest check-in is 11 AM, assuming that the train arrived on time that morning. But there is no advantage to getting there that early, unless you just like sitting in train stations. I'd recommend doing an early lunch some place else around 11:30 or so, then head for the train station. I do recommend getting there by 1 PM if you want your pick of dinner times. After 1 PM things start to sell out and you may not be able to get the time you'd like.
There is a place to buy food in the station, but it's mircowaved food if you want hot.
Again, assuming an on time arrival that morning, usually they'll start boarding around 2:30 PM or so.
As for hotels, there are easily a couple of dozen within 2 to 3 exits of the Auto Train in both directions.
